The Darkness that Captivates
by twistedsteps301
Summary: The darkness lingers like a sign, a hint of what is to be discovered. Voices, dreams, new places and this fluttering feeling of something ominous plague Kiyomi's mind. Perhaps some time away from home can help to ease the worry…hopefully. "And what's with these idiot fangirls? Honestly, get a life!"
1. Chapter 1

**So I finally got the time to go back and edit my story. Originally it was written in my OC's POV but I have changed it to a third person POV. I would like to eventually get a Beta to read over my story and correct any mistakes. I shortened the chapters but I will update it more often now that I have worked it a little differently. I would like a little more feedback to know how my story is coming along so reviews are greatly appreciated. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **Chapter One**

The light slowly crept through the small slit between the heavy curtains. The pale light silently moved across the room, cutting through the darkness as the sun rose and landed on a sleeping form. The soft sunlight eventually moved to land on smooth, slightly sun kissed skin. Not bothering the sleeping being much as she simply turned over and faced the wall. Clenching the blankets tightly around her body, she curled into a ball on the comfortable bed and continued to sleep peacefully…until.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The sharp sound echoed in the silent space and startled her from her peaceful slumber. She shot straight up to a sitting position and made to glare at the insistent knocking. However, a misjudgment of position on the bed led to a different outcome. The sudden movement caused her to lose balance and fall onto the plush carpeted floor. As soft as that carpet may look, it didn't do much for the force at which she landed on it with. The sting from fresh carpet burn radiated along her forearms and knees.

A loud groan escaped her lips as she stood from the floor and threw the blankets that had entangled themselves around her body on the way down off. Sitting up lazily and rubbing the sleep from her eyes she studied the bed that she had been so comfortably sleeping in just seconds ago. Her gaze soon found the small clock sitting on the wooden nightstand, 7:30 am, her eyelids becoming heavy once more as the thought of crawling back into the warm bed flowed through her mind. With a loud yawn and one last glance around the room she rose from the floor, stretching and tossing the blankets carelessly onto the bed.

Making her way ever so slowly towards the door and yawning one last time while stretching like a lazy house cat, she opened it with disinterest. If her face didn't speak loud enough to express her current emotional state then her attitude certainly would. _Manners?_ She thought as she stuck her tongue out childishly, _not this early in the morning._

The door opened fully to reveal a beautiful woman standing in equally beautiful attire. A sour look overtook her features briefly when she looked at Kiyomi.

"Put your tongue away." She ordered with a soft stern voice. Kiyomi quickly sucked her tongue back into her mouth and looked at the woman with lazy eyes.

"Yes mother?" the lack there of, of emotion in her tone didn't seem to bother the older woman standing at the door as a bright smile appeared on her face.

"Morning dear…." She stopped for a moment taking in the sight of her daughter's half asleep, slouching and downright unladylike presence, "Um…not dressed yet?"

The response from her mother annoyed Kiyomi a bit as she raised an eyebrow at the question, as if it was supposed to be obvious. Taking a second to look down at her clothing, seeing that she was still indeed wearing pajamas, she couldn't help the comment that escaped her lips, "It would seem that I am dressed…..to go back to bed." The comment and tone holding even less enthusiasm as before with a hint of sarcasm laced in for good measure.

The beautiful features on her mother's face did not falter in any way at the sarcastic comment; she merely chuckled a bit before speaking again. "Well my dear Kiyomi, the chairman of Cross Academy will be here in a few hours. You didn't forget did you?"

Kiyomi's eyes widened slightly at the reminder, _sure I didn't "forget" I just put the information at the bottom of things I didn't care to think about. So…yeah I forgot._ Letting out a long tired sigh, she ran both hands over her face before fixing the woman with a sweet smile, "It would seem so, my apologies mom. When is he supposed to arrive?" There was no need to continue with the sour attitude and sarcastic bashing, this was her fault for forgetting.

Her mother looked at her while suppressing the sigh that wanted to escape her painted lips, "They should be here by noon, dear."

"Ok….wait! They?!" the look of shock on Kiyomi's face didn't seem to phase her mother as she just smiled and answered with a swift nod before turning to make her way down the long hall. The light ivory dress swaying with each elegant step.

Kiyomi just stood in the doorway staring at her mother's shrinking figure before she heard her soft voice echo down the hall, "There are still things for you to do around here so you may want to make haste!"

Letting out a loud groan of protest, "Yes ma'am." _Of course there would be things to do the day that these academy people were supposed to show up. And what the heck? Now there were more coming? When was that decided?_

Standing in the doorway for a moment longer, Kiyomi only seemed to be able to hang her head at the thought of the day's upcoming events. Mumbling a "Great", Kiyomi turned to gather clothing before making her way to the shower. The dresser across the large room had many picture frames spread across it, some of Kiyomi and her mother, friends and even some of her riding their horses. As she studied each framed photo she couldn't help the heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. As she stared at the picture of her and her friends she became a bit emotional, eyes beginning to water a bit as the thought of her being so far away from them hit her.

Her mother and her friends were really the only family that she knew, never knowing her father. Since her mother never really spoke of him much and the subject was a rarity, just that he had supposedly died before Kiyomi was born. It was hard understanding how she could get upset about someone that she had never met, but it happened on occasion. There were no pictures of him, not one, so she had no idea what he looked like. Guessing in the end that it was better to have never known him than have the thought of losing him if she had known him, if that makes sense. Still, it was depressing none the less.

Quickly pushing the dark thoughts that had made their way into her mind away, she searched the dresser for her favorite black t-shirt and a pair of dark boot cut jeans. Grabbing clean under garments too, she headed to the bathroom to take a nice hot shower.

The shower was probably the only positive thing that would happen today, well that and the fact that Kiyomi would get to go down to the fields and see Jack. Jack was the seven year old gelding that she had gotten on her tenth birthday. Having him at a year old made it difficult to deal with him at times, he was so hot headed but the time that she would spend trying to befriend the crazy colt turned out to be one of the best things she had ever done. In the end gaining a best friend and new member of this small family, that's right, she considered Jack family. _Who wouldn't consider him family? Well my friends thought I was nuts due to the fact that I was really the only one allowed near him and he would try his best to get a mouth full of pants from anyone brave enough to get near him._

She laughed at that thought and shook her head. Getting out of the shower once again pulled Kiyomi from any peaceful thoughts quickly replacing them with the fact that in a few hours she would be meeting the man, and apparently other people, that her mother had spoken about on more than one occasion. Well him….she didn't speak of the others that were supposedly accompanying him.

She ran a brush through her dark brown hair, pulling it into a high ponytail that reached just below her shoulders and letting her bangs hang freely across her forehead. A few strands here and there fell around her ears, but who cares? There was no time and no one to impress. Chancing a long look into the mirror at the long dark eyelashes creating a dark frame around her pale blue eyes, and flawless slightly sun kissed skin she sighed. She had grown up a lot and honestly couldn't complain about overall appearance. Being told countless times how beautiful she was annoying, honestly she really didn't care to hear it. She didn't dote on herself like some girls, the knowledge of her looks was known but she wasn't going around and yelling it to the world! _Idiots!_

It was really thanks to the fact that her mother was a vampire, not sure if a thanks is really the proper word. Not just the typical vampire though…if that existed, her mother was a pureblood, highly respected by others, and very beautiful. Kiyomi had a lot of her features and a few that one would assume came from her father. Luckily, her mother didn't possess the typical pureblood personality; she was very bright and outgoing. Her mother was nothing like most who were cold and clung to the fact that they were superior, a fortunate trait to the unfortunate lineage. That, Kiyomi was thankful for, the ones that she had the chance to meet only made her want the meeting to end as soon as possible…. _depressing beings. And can be so full of themselves….GAH!_

With one last look at herself in the mirror she continued on with her morning routine of brushing her teeth and telling herself over and over again what all she was supposed to do. _Jeez I talked to myself a lot._ _T_ houghts soon returning to the man that her mother had spoken of, Cross, the chairman of Cross Academy.

Apparently her mother had known this man before she was born and the few times her mother did speak of him she seemed to enjoy the memories that she spoke of. She said he was a very serious man when it came to his work, but there was a very youthful side to him that he possessed. This thought would always make her laugh as she would go on about how random he would be at times and just flat out childish. At the time Kiyomi couldn't wrap her mind around how her mother could speak so highly of someone that was supposed to be a grown man but acted in such a way. Still, she didn't mind it so much if the memories put a smile on her mother's ageless face.

Her mom smiled often but Kiyomi could always tell that it was forced, mainly for her sake. So the times that her mother would truly smile, Kiyomi would savor the look on her mother's face and couldn't help but smile too.

Quietly, she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother and a few of the maids were chatting. As usual, breakfast had been prepared and place at the table waiting for her timely arrival. Kiyomi expressed her thanks and made her way to the table and proceeded to eat the meal quickly. Her mother soundlessly began making her way over to Kiyomi as she finished.

"Remember everything you need to do today?" the soft tone of her voice lightened the heavy feel of the room.

Kiyomi smiled up to her mom and spoke, "The usual right? Check on the animals and the fields…..moving on to the gardens and tend to the plants. I will bring some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight if you would like?"

Her mother nodded, her long silky hair bouncing with the movement before speaking once more, "Don't forget to ride the perimeter as well, make sure that the fencing is in no need for any repairs…" She seemed to trail off before adding, "Stay out of the woods and don't forget to take this with you." She handed Kiyomi a revolver with a beautiful intricate design covering the grip, placing it gently in her hands. Kiyomi focused on it for a moment, taking in its beauty before directing her attention back to her mother.

She nodded and smiled at her once more, "Don't worry mom, I will get it done….and I promise to be careful." The addition of that last part seemed to put her at ease for a moment.

She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Kiyomi's forehead before turning and making her way into the library. With curious eyes, Kiyomi watched as her mother disappeared into the room before focusing on the revolver in her hands. She knew why her mother worried so much but she was older now, just turned 17 to be exact and surely she could take care of herself. Letting her gaze travel back to the entrance to the library, a long sigh escaping her lips before turning her attention back to the revolver. She closed her eyes for a moment before carefully placing it in the holster on her hip, the leather strap holding the holster fitting comfortably around her hips.

Kiyomi stood from the table straightening out the black t-shirt before walking over to the front door where her boots were placed and carefully laced them up, placing the extra fabric of the jeans over the tops.

 **Okay so for those that have read this story before I sincerely apologize for this crazy edit. Chapters one through six will be the same as what was posted prior just edited to third person. I will update with new chapters soon after I am done with my editing. Thank you! Please review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay here is the next edited chapter. Hope all was well with the first and I will continue on with the updating. Please bear with my craziness.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **Chapter Two**

As she stepped outside for the first time that morning she was met with a sight that might bum some people out, Kiyomi on the other hand didn't mind it. The warm bright sun and beautiful blue sky was being devoured by dark menacing storm clouds, enveloping the land in silence and an eerie shadow that crept slowly across it. As much as she loved the sunny days there was just something about the ominous clouds that Kiyomi loved. They seemed to place a veil of calm over an overactive mind and settle a peace within it.

Taking in a deep breath, Kiyomi caught the faint scent of the rain the clouds held, awaiting their chance to travel to the dry earth. A smile crept upon her face as she felt the cool breeze wrap around her, whipping her bangs across her face. With one last look at the dark cloud covered sky she turned, now focusing on the open property that surrounded the house. Thinking back to what her mother had said, "Stay out of the woods", _ha, like I could get near them, she made sure that our property lines stopped well before the wood line._ It was always strange, but every time Kiyomi would bring it up her mother would just say something like, " _we need the room for the livestock, and woods provide no nourishment for_ _them"_ and go on about something else.

She shook her head as she quoted her mother's words out loud. _Jeez there I go talking to myself again….well thinking it. Gah! Get it together Kiyomi!_ She slapped herself rather harshly to get ahold of her thoughts once more before making her way down to the barn to get Jack ready for the days' work. The stinging on her cheeks from her own inflicted abuse slowly faded and soon the feeling was nonexistent.

As always, Jack was waiting impatiently for her and let out a loud whine of irritation and excitement and began stomping his hooves on the dirt covered floor. Taking nibbles of her hair to show his agitation and lack thereof, of patience. Kiyomi smiled at his little temper tantrum and continued her slow movements, half from sleep and half from the entertainment of such a large animal acting like a spoiled child.

"Okay Jack, all ready. Let's get this day going!" She said with forced enthusiasm throwing a fist of triumph up and Jack nibbled at her shirt sleeve.

The two walked out of the barn before she stepped one foot into the stirrups and gracefully swung her other leg over his back. Expertly positioning herself comfortably in the saddle before starting, taking it slow at first and then with one swift move of her heels they were off at full speed. There were some days that Kiyomi would forget just how fast he was as she nearly fell back with the quick adjustment of speed. Never the less a huge smile could be seen on her face a mile away as they rode to the other locations on the property the other animals were kept.

They took their time checking on the other animals, not having anything to do with the fact that she was trying to avoid the house….ok maybe a bit, but mainly because she wanted to spend as much time with her favorite partner in crime as she possibly could.

Riding from pasture to pasture, each that held the other livestock, checking each group making sure they had everything they would need for the month, she started to realize that they were taking a lot longer than planned. A quick glance at her wrist watch confirmed it, it was 11:27 am, the chairman from the academy would be at the house soon and she still had the gardens to tend to and to ride the perimeter. At the horrifying realization of the possibility of a scolding from her mom for being really late and making the visitors wait, Kiyomi kicked Jack into high gear and bolted for the fields. The fields weren't huge but it usually took an average of an hour to get done with them, today she would set a new record.

Kiyomi jumped off of Jack as soon as they reached the destination, running through the fields like a mad man...err, woman, trying to be as thorough as possible. All the while taking quick glances at Jack as he would try to sneak a vegetable or two and a few times being successful as she would turn around to him having a carrot hanging from his mouth chewing away happily. To keep him from eating everything, she finished as quickly as possible, picking a few fresh vegetables along the way as promised.

As she settled herself back into the saddle, she took another look at the watch seeing that it was just now noon.

"Great." Her chest reverberated with the grumble that sounded.

 _Maybe they were running a bit late and wouldn't be there at exactly noon_ , she thought as they rode towards the house, praying that Jack wouldn't hit a hole on the way there. The speed they at which they were traveling wouldn't leave much to the imagination if he were to crash and burn. She still had to check the fencing, but could make up the excuse of getting the vegetables back before checking as why it hadn't been done it yet.

As the pair neared the house she could see a black limo pulling in front of the house, she couldn't help the groan that escaped as she saw the car…. _of course, lets only hope that my appearance doesn't scare them off_. A quick glance down to her dirt covered clothing had her groaning loudly and it only grew louder when people began exiting the vehicle.

She could see several people get out of the car, a man with light sandy colored hair pulled into a low ponytail, a young girl with brown shoulder length hair, a taller boy with silver hair, another with deep brownish colored hair and another with blonde hair getting out of the limo. Her mother stepped out of the covered porch to greet them the same time another car pulled up. More people getting out of this one, _dang how many people did this guy bring?_ She thought as they continued barreling towards the house.

Still a good distance away as no one had noticed them yet but she could make out three more boys, one with messy blonde hair, the next one a bit taller than the blonde with light brownish red hair, and the next with deep reddish brown hair. Finally out stepped two girls, the first having two blonde pigtails and the other long light sandy brown hair.

They were all dressed to the point of it being too much, all Kiyomi could think was… _you guys are on a farm and you are dressed like you should be frightened by the sight of dirt. Just too perfect, they scream stuck-up vampire._

The two continued to ride up to the house, Jack's pace quickening a bit as they drew closer. Just as they were nearing the front of the house the tall dark haired boy turned his intense gaze away from the group and looked in their direction. The next thing Kiyomi knew, Jack had locked his legs in a dead stop and she was now flying over his head. She let out a yelp of surprise, closing her eyes tight awaiting the painful impact. To her surprise she managed to land on her feet, the force of the landing causing her to slide in the loose gravel. A being that was supposed to possess so much elegance and grace, Kiyomi found that at times she had none.

The sound of her mother's worried gasp and her calling Kiyomi's name snapped her out of the stupor and her eyes opened. A quick glace around finalized her assumptions, everyone was now staring at her, some holding a slight shocked expression and some seemed…amused? She turned slowly to look at Jack with wide eyes, _what the heck was that all about?_

It took a split second for the scent to reach her nose and she knew her mother's scent was no longer the only pureblood's that could be detected. A new scent filled the air and it brought with it a tense, dark aura. Nothing new when it comes to high class vampires but it would still cause the hairs on the back of her neck to stand.

She let out a sigh of relief, usually something like that wouldn't have caught her off guard. _Guess there is a first time for everything_ , she thought as she scratched the back of her neck.

Before she could react there was a pair of strong arms wrapped around her lifting her off of the ground and swinging her from side to side. When her feet finally hit the ground she realized it was the man with the ponytail, focusing on him once her head stopped spinning she could see a huge smile on his face as he spoke, "Oh my, you had me so scared….are you ok?!" he wrapped his arm around Kiyomi again bringing her into another back breaking hug.

Kiyomi looked at her mother who was shaking her head smiling while some of the other guests standing around groaned at the grown man's actions. Her gaze traveled back to her mom with a look of confusion and annoyance, she simply mouthed "Cross" before letting out a small laugh.

With a desperate effort to free herself from the iron grip, Kiyomi tried to push the mad man away but he was surprisingly strong for a human. She let out a low groan before trying to speak, but before she had the chance, the man was being dragged away by the silver haired boy.

"She just got thrown off a horse and here you are practically crushing her…idiot!" he grumbled, annoyance spit into every word. Kiyomi couldn't help the small laugh that formed at the sight of him pulling the grown man away by the ear while the man seemed to be crying, mumbling a "My son is so mean to his daddy."

"I'm not your son!" the boy yelled back as he let go of the man's ear. Watching the heated confrontation between the two brought back her mother's previous description of the man. Now she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips when it resulted in the silver haired boy becoming infuriated and hitting the older man, Cross, in the head.

Her mother cleared her throat bringing everyone's attention to her, "Ok everyone, if you would please." She motioned for them to follow her inside, the amused smile never leaving her lips as she turned around following the others inside.

Watching as everyone made their way inside the house, Kiyomi caught the gaze of the dark haired boy as he walked passed. Her smile fell momentarily as their eyes met, but was quickly back once he let the corner of his lips turn up into a small smirk. Someone was then felt standing beside her and she turned her head to the side to see the young girl with short brown hair.

"Hello, my name is Yuki!" her aura was so pure, bright and innocent, the fight to not smile was long since lost at the sight of the smaller girl.

"Nice to meet you Yuki, my name is Kiyomi." She nodded her head in greeting.

"I am so excited you are going to be attending Cross Academy. I am the headmaster's adopted daughter, Zero…" she pointed to the boy with the silver hair who was making his way inside with the others, "is his adopted son."

"Ah, so that explains all that." Kiyomi said motioning with her hands before letting out a small laugh.

Kiyomi watched Yuki with amusement as she rubbed the back of her head laughing, "Yeah, they are like that a lot I'm afraid."

They both stood there for a moment laughing until Kiyomi felt a nudge on her arm. She turned to see Jack, an apologetic look in his eyes. A small smiled graced Kiyomi's face as she turned to him patting his head letting him know that everything was ok. Her attention soon turned to Yuki as she walked Jack towards the post to tie him, she seemed to be frightened.

"Not a fan of horses I take it?" Kiyomi asked as she focused on tying Jack.

Yuki let out a long sigh before speaking, "It's not that I don't like them, they just don't seem to like me very much." Kiyomi raised an eyebrow at her before smiling.

"It's okay." This seemed to comfort her a bit as she relaxed her shoulders. "Shall we join the others?" Kiyomi motioned towards the front door and smiled. Yuki looked at her with a bright smile nodding her head. No sooner than their feet hit the porch did they hear the faint sound, coming heavier as the seconds passed by, luckily Jack was under a cover protected from the heavy rain. Kiyomi took in one last deep breath, taking in the sweet smell of the rain before turning to follow Yuki inside.

 _Kiyomi_

The sound of her name startled her causing her to stop dead in her tracks.

 _Stay away from him Kiyomi._

The voice was deep, menacing, yet for some reason she felt comforted by it. The tone was to warn, or frighten but it held emotion, sadness. Kiyomi had never heard this voice before and for a moment she thought it might have been her mind playing tricks on her until it spoke again.

 _Be wary of the Kuran pureblood!_

The feeling someone's hands on her shoulders pulled her from the light daze, shaking them lightly at first and then a little more forcefully. Kiyomi hadn't realized she had dazed out until she heard a female voice calling her name.

"Kiyomi!" she snapped out of her thoughts quickly, it was Yuki. The look of worry on her face quickly turned to fear as she let out a gasp of surprise and took a slow step back. Kiyomi looked at her in confusion, _why was she acting like this?_

"Yuki?" She started as she studied the girl's face, "What's wrong?"

Yuki just looked at Kiyomi with her big brown eyes, "Your eyes….."

Kiyomi tilted her head as she looked at Yuki questioningly, "My eyes? What about them?"

She took a deep breath before she spoke again, this time more calm, "When you stopped I thought you had just spaced out but…your eyes, they….turned black."

"Turned black?" Kiyomi looked to the floor thinking about what she had just said before looking back at her with a smile. "It was probably nothing. Maybe you were just seeing things?"

That seemed to calm her nerves as she nodded and the smile slowly reappeared on her face, "Yeah you're right, I must have just imagined it. Sorry." She laughed nervously before turning around to walk inside.

Kiyomi smiled at her simplicity, but still what was that voice she had heard?

 **Reviews please and thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Jeez this update had been tedious but I was able to catch myself back up on my original plan for this fanfic. Hope that this update will work out in the long run. It definitely has made writing a bit easier and I am not sure how close to the original story line I am going to keep it. I guess close enough but I don't want my OC following it step by step. I find that boring.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **Chapter Three**

The sight in the living room was more than enough for Kiyomi to forget about the unnerving voice that had invaded her mind moments ago and what Yuki had mentioned about her disoriented state. A low groan escaped from Yuki as she stood silently next to her with a faint pink hue on her face as they noticed the chairman dancing and darting wildly around the living room. Arms were flailing above his head and a huge smile on his face as he continued on; it was disturbing and somewhat amusing.

The two girls could only stare at his strange tomfoolery from the doorway where they stood. _This guy was anything but normal…_ but still Kiyomi couldn't help the smile from forming on her face at the sight of her mother's bright, warm smile.

Yuki dropped her head after watching the chairman's childishness come into play, which in turn made Kiyomi giggle a bit, poor Yuki. The soft sound of her laughter caught Yuki's attention and she turned to look at the slightly taller girl with her big brown eyes, a small smile gracing her face. Kiyomi smiled but couldn't help but feel kind of sorry for her.

With another small giggle she wrapped an arm around Yuki's shoulders feeling her tense a bit at the touch but she soon relaxed. They stood in the doorway giggling to one another sharing glances as they continued to watch the crazy man. Their laughter did not go unnoticed by the others in the room and they soon heard the chairman's squeals of happiness get more intense.

Both girls' heads immediately snapped towards the sound at the same time as they were both quickly pulled into his chest, his strong arms wrapping around their small figures. He was definitely stronger than he appeared, no doubt about that… _I think I heard my back crack this time!_ Kiyomi thought with a wince.

"Awe my dear daughter and niece are going to be the best of friends! I can see it already!" his smile grew with each word, if that man could smile any wider his face would split in two.

"Um…niece?" Kiyomi managed to say between struggled breaths. His grip on them began loosening slightly, enough for Kiyomi to take a huge intake of needed air at the ability to stretch her lungs normally. She heard Yuki do the same as the opportunity presented itself to her as well.

The man beamed, his glasses slid down his nose resting right on the tip. His eyes, now visible, no longer hidden behind his glasses even seemed to be smiling. So much brightness in one human being was just unheard of but here he stood in all his optimistic glory.

"Just call me Uncle Cross!" The girl next to me let out another groan followed by another apologetic smile towards me. I returned her smile as I focused on pushing the insane man off of us.

"Um…sure?" She really didn't know how to respond to that, _my mother had a serious talk coming as soon as we were alone. She was sending me away to this academy, one that was supposedly so highly respected, and ran by this nut? Oh yeah, we were so going to talk!_

Still, she couldn't help the feeling that since she had met Yuki the want to go was there. Yuki was such a sweet girl and seemed to be very genuine, even though Kiyomi had only recently met her; a feeling of trust was just surrounding the small girl. The others however, well they just seemed to be there, each one holding a different level of boredom in their perfect features. Well except for the two boys with blond hair, one's face displaying a bright smile as the other held a look of ease and approachability.

She stood in the doorway running a hand over her face letting out a frustrated sigh as the chairman took a few slow steps back, a hurt look replacing his smile, his voice barely audible as he whined a, "First my daughter and son, now my niece…"

"For the millionth time, I am not your son!" Kiyomi's attention went from the now pouting chairman Cross to the silver haired boy... _Zero was it?_ _Who was_ standing next to the fireplace with his arms crossed over his chest. _He actually heard that? Hmm._ _A small bout of curiosity ran through Kiyomi as she studied the boy. Out of the many that sat in her home, he was drawing her attention rather quickly without effort. Another moment passed before Kiyomi along with Yuki entered the space fully and silently took a seat. Conversation soon filled the air once more but Kiyomi did not dare speak, she simply observed. Her silent way of getting to know someone without having to speak with them directly, it had yet to fail her in judgement._

After a few more moments of listening to the various conversations amongst the guests and losing herself in her own random train of thought, she remembered that Jack was still tied just outside. Silently looking around the room at everyone, seeing as how a sudden withdrawal from the room might cause the wrong assumption she figured she should be courteous. Clearing her throat and trying her best to not sound rude to those who were speaking diligently she prepared herself. As soon as the sound left her throat everyone's eyes were directed to her, a few questioning eyebrows rose to the noise.

"Um…I understand that I have managed to dodge the awkwardness of initial introductions, my apologies for being so informal. I do however need to head back out for a moment, my horse Jack needs to be returned to the stables before it gets too late. So if you would please excuse me?" She stood from her place on the small, comfortable sofa.

Speaking in the most polite tone she could to everyone in the room with her attention mainly directed to her mother who had taken a place next to Chairman Cross. Her mother smiled and nodded her head, "Don't be too long, dinner should be done here soon."

Kiyomi returned the smile nodding her head in acknowledgement and turned to make her way outside. She slowed and turned her head slightly towards Yuki, "Would you like to come with me?" She noticed the nervous look on Yuki's face as she sat with her hands resting in her lap. She started to fidget a bit as she seemed to think about it for a moment.

"It's ok, I understand if you are nervous about Jack. I just thought maybe you would want some fresh air." Kiyomi smiled at her as she let out a sigh of relief. Yuki then put on a big smile and nodded her head at Kiyomi's understanding.

"Rain check?" Yuki asked as she smiled, rubbing the back of her head nervously. Kiyomi simply nodded her head smiling back to her and continued out of the room. A few approving glances were cast her way as she retreated from the room and one small smirk.

She stepped out onto the covered porch to see that it had stopped raining, pity but the clouds looked even angrier now, some swirling overhead seeming as if they would swallow up existence at any moment. It was lightening in the distance and the feel of the air outside had become heavy, a small breeze brought the smell of wet dirt to her nose as well as another smell she didn't recognize at first…. _Sulfur?_ The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood on end. She could sense it and a storm was indeed coming, but there seemed to be something else causing this unknown feeling of anxiety.

With a huff she walked slowly down the steps, a few creaking under the pressure and walked towards Jack. Eyes continued to look in the distance at the approaching light show, _I should make this quick._

Jack seemed to be on high alert, probably from sensing the same thing as his eyes and head were constantly whipping around. Kiyomi spoke to him soothingly, noticing how his ears perked up and his attention soon fell on her as she walked closer and untied his reins. A quick pat on the head calmed his alerted behavior before she placed a foot carefully into one stirrup and swung her other leg effortlessly over his back. As she was adjusting into the saddle, the sound of the leather squeaking with every move, she noticed Jack had turned his head so that he was now looking back to the house. Upon noticing his change of attention her eyes followed his line of sight to settle on a form standing on the porch.

"Mind if I come? I don't think I can handle listening to those…." He cleared his throat as he trailed off. He looked at her with annoyance written all over his face, seeming to grow frustrated by her lack of response.

"You do realize that I am one too right?" She said looking at him with a blank expression, raising an eyebrow as she spoke. _Of course I knew what he was implying, I could sense the hate that radiated from him and it only seemed to intensify around the others._

He looked away as his features hardened, "Being around one bloodsucker is better than being in a room full of them." Kiyomi could see him looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "And you….don't reek like they do."

"Seriously?" The tone of her voice low as she stared at him with slight agitation, _I didn't reek like them? What was that supposed to mean?_ _"Thanks…I guess." The wind picked up a bit, a combination of cool and warm, not a good sign. By the looks of it this storm was going to hit soon._

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes before fully facing her, "Well?" She could see that he was getting annoyed, but didn't really care.

Her expression changing to the emotionless one it held before as she spoke, "It's not that I want to say no since I just love surrounding myself with people that despise my kind, but Jack," she pointed to said horse who was staring at Zero, "isn't a social butterfly." The answer filled with as much sarcasm as possible nor her current emotion seemed to phase Zero in the slightest as he uncrossed his arms and started walking towards them. As Zero reached a hand out towards Jack, Kiyomi sat in the saddle awaiting the usual tantrum Jack would throw when anyone approached him.

Jack's ears immediately shot back for a second and she thought for sure he was about to do his best to get a souvenir from Zero. Gritting her teeth and bracing herself was her immediate reaction in case Jack decided to go berserk with her on his back. To her complete surprise and relief, Jack seemed to relax and even stretched his head towards Zero's hand. With wide eyes, she watched the interaction, mouth hanging open in slight shock; she could see a cocky smirk on Zero's face as he patted Jack's head.

He didn't even bother looking in her direction when he spoke, "You can stop looking at me like that at any time."

She shook her head a bit gathering the jumbled thoughts in her head, "Sorry, but he has never let anyone near him but me."

A soft chuckle came from the boy as he continued to pet Jack on the nose, "Guess I'm not just anyone." His lips formed the same cocky smirk and Kiyomi found she could not stop the heat from rising to her cheeks. His looks were unique for a human and she could not deny that he was good looking.

She continued to watch Zero as he continued to pat Jack on the head. _Just who the heck is this guy?_ A long winded breath escaped her lips that didn't realize she had been holding during the whole situation and she relaxed back into the saddle.

"Well?" Once again she was snapped out of her thoughts and noticed that Zero was now looking at her with a questioning eyebrow raised, his lavender eyes staring deep into her pale blues.

"Well what?" Her mind had gone blank while watching his interaction with Jack so she had forgotten what they had been talking about prior to.

"Since it seems that I am in no danger of being eaten by Jack….or you, do you mind if I come with you?" his expression and tone showing no real emotion as he spoke. The smirk that once appeared on his face had disappeared.

With a long sigh she looked at Jack who seemed to be content at this point and then back to Zero who seemed to be growing impatient.

"Sure…I don't see the harm in it since Jack seems to like you." She shrugged and patted Jack on the neck, "would you rather walk, or try your chance at riding with me? If you don't mind being so close to a 'bloodsucker' that is."

All focus was on her horse when she spoke so when she heard him scoff at her question she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. _Two can play at this game and I was not one for holding my tongue when the opportunity presented itself._ She could hear his feet shifting on the soft ground below, but before she had the chance to look a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. The small yelp that escaped my lips at the sudden contact and close proximity of his body could not be helped; it was an unannounced and surprising action that caught her off guard.

She closed her eyes to compose herself when she heard his low chuckle. Obviously he was getting some amusement out of this but Kiyomi was frustrated that once again she had been caught off guard. Twice in one day was just too much, _maybe I am losing my touch._

He shifted his weight behind her and leaned forward, his warm breath hitting her skin as he leaned in closer to her ear, "Shall we?" The amusement was thick in his voice as he spoke. Unable to control it, she could feel her cheeks heat up as his breath hit her skin, _was I blushing?! No way!_ She shook her head furiously before looking at him over her shoulder, a small smirk forming.

"You might want to hold on tight." He furrowed his brow and his lips started to move to respond, but before he could mutter a single syllable she had kicked her heels into Jack's sides and like a bolt of lightning they were off. Zero's arms tighten around her waist at the sudden change and she couldn't suppress the laugh she was holding. A smile even wider than before appeared when she heard a growl come from the boy noting that now he must more than a bit annoyed.

They rode passed the barn earning Kiyomi a question from Zero, "Um…where are you going? The barn is back there." He gestured with his thumb as if she didn't notice the large structure.

"I know, but I still need to check the fencing and since you are with me I feel more comfortable doing it now." It was a true enough confession, she always felt a bit uncomfortable riding the fence line when it was just her and Jack. It was closer to the woods in some areas and something about the forest that surrounded the property left a dark feeling in her mind. It was like the forest, if she were to enter it, would swallow her up and she would forever be held by its darkness. At the same time, the darkness was all too inviting to her senses, calling her and drawing her to it but at the same time warning of its impending danger… _I am a basket case._

The thought of the dark creepy forest made her shiver, she was always curious about it and even the thought of entering the forest crossed her mind on more than one occasion. But just as soon as she would lay eyes on it she would just get this overwhelming feeling of danger. Like something was waiting for her to enter and then that was it, she would be erased from existence, swallowed by the thick darkness that thrived in the forest.

"Sure, whatever you say." The sound of his voice drew her out of her dark thoughts and she was grateful for that. She looked over her shoulder at him to see that a look she hadn't seen yet was present on his face. He seemed somewhat at peace, content, and it made her smile at the sight of him showing a softer side. He noticed it of course as he rolled his eyes and looked away, his face hardening once again. The smile didn't fade at his reaction and she turned her attention back to the all too familiar trail ahead.

 **Review please and thank you! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay so another chapter done. It is taking a little longer to get these edited chapters up but they are making their way. If you are a reader currently following this story you have more than likely already read what is in this chapter. Feel free to go back and read the edited chapters as a kind of refresher but nothing new will be posted until after chapter six. Sorry if I disappointed you. If you do go back and read the edited chapters please review and let me know if you like it. Thanks! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **Chapter Four**

Kiyomi had only inspected about half of what was supposed to be checked, it was getting closer to dinner and the storm clouds were threatening to release their fury at any moment. The scent of the rain that filled the dark clouds was stronger as the wind picked up and carried a damp feeling with it.

Most of the ride in its entirety had been in silence, not that she had expected him to speak to her much anyways. At one point she had even forgotten that she had company until she felt his hold around her waist tighten after encouraging Jack to speed it up. She smiled over her shoulder at him, even if he returned it with a scowl.

At the entrance of the barn she signaled for Zero to get off and she did the same once his feet hit the soft ground. Kiyomi let out a long tired sigh as she ran a hand over her face, trying to get the feeling back in her legs then running her hands up and down them. She loved to ride but hated the feeling of her legs becoming wobbly after a while. As she walked Jack inside, she was surprised to see Zero following. It had been half expected of him to go back to the house once they had returned.

Kiyomi began working the straps to remove the saddle, pulling it up and off of Jack's back. After removing it she walked with it in hand to place it in the tack room along with the halter, the rich smell of leather hitting her nose as she stepped into the room. The padding slipped off easily and was set off to the side of his stall with the bottom facing up to air out.

When she turned around she smiled at the sight of Zero brushing Jack, and how Jack seemed to love every minute of it. Another brush lay on one of the shelves of the tack room; she grabbed it and took her place on the opposite side brushing Jack carefully in silence. His dark coat smoothing out with each stroke and the shine returning as Jack's coat dried. She smiled reaching up and scratched Jack's ears, him leaning into her touch.

"You are so spoiled." Kiyomi smiled as she lay the brush down on the shelf attached to the stall door. With another once over of Jack and cleaning his hooves of any debris, she draped a rope loosely around his neck and led him to his stall.

Once she had Jack inside his stall and made sure he had plenty of water and hay for the time being, she put a little sweet feed in his bucket before closing the door. She stepped away from the stall door and faced the entrance to the barn where Zero stood silently, his arms once again crossed over his chest. Honestly she didn't feel like talking to the boy standing at the large opening of the barn, not really in the mood for any negative comments he might spat. The ride had been relatively silent and she wanted it to stay that way for the time being. The understanding of how his assumption of vampires could have come about was just but not all were like that and it infuriated her when a stereotype was made due to another's actions.

She reached up to her hair taking the band that had been holding it up out and ruffle her hair letting it fall freely down her back. With one last glance at Zero, she made an effort to place a smile on her face before walking passed him. He just looked at her with slight disinterest before sliding his hands into the pockets of his pants and following her out of the barn. They walked in silence back towards the house, not once did either of them make an attempt to speak to the other which Kiyomi was kind of thankful for.

She stopped suddenly when the feeling of something wet hit her cheek. The cool sensation trailed down her face as she placed her thin fingers to her face and wiped away the wetness. She looked up to the sky overhead, ignoring the questioning look from Zero; the sky had grown considerably darker. The fact that the sun would soon be setting having some to do with it, but the clouds continued to grow darker and the air grew more dense. The lightning was now right overhead and increasing in intensity with every passing minute.

As she stood in place, the rain slowly began making its decent. The soft patter of it hitting the ground relaxing every muscle in her body and she closed her eyes in satisfaction of the sound and feel of the rain. Breathing in deep so the sweet aroma of the rain hit her senses, she sighed, so relaxing. The sound started off soft and calm, but continued to grow louder as it fell heavier hitting the ground with more and more force.

Hearing Zero clearing his throat brought her out of her daze, now sensing his curious eyes as she stood in the same place.

"Are you done?" his tone holding no interest as he spoke.

Kiyomi raised an eyebrow at him; his little attitude was starting to get on her nerves, "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was bothering you by not bothering you." He glared at her causing her to return his glare with one of her own. It was rude and she was starting to lose patience with this guy, _what is his deal? I hadn't done anything to him, yet he acts like I am the cause of his problems._

He turned his head as he spoke again, "I just figured you would have enough sense to notice it was pouring…..guess I was wrong." He turned and started walking towards the house again.

A low growl escaped her lips and she couldn't help but ball her fists up at his comment, he was starting to get under her skin. Most would keep their retorts to themselves but she was not like most people who kept their mouths shut. She had the tendency to blurt out whatever she was thinking before thinking about it sometimes.

"You don't seem like you possess much yourself since you could have just as easily left me here and continued on." Before she could stop it she had done it again, speaking what should have been kept a thought. "I guess my realization to that would suggest that I possess more than you, am I right?"

This of course caught his attention immediately, and Kiyomi couldn't hide the smirk that was now on her face. _Hmmm…seems like I may have struck a nerve, this could be fun._

He turned fully facing her, balling his fists at his side as his glare hardened. If looks could kill then his probably would have done it several times by now. Before he could speak the front door to the house swung open revealing a very happy chairman Cross, oh what a surprise. A low growl came from Zero as his attention was averted from her towards the man now standing on the covered porch.

"Zero! Be a good son and help put Kiyomi's bags into the car!" his smile never fading once as he spoke. Kiyomi's on the other hand immediately disappeared, _what?! Am I leaving tonight?!_ She suddenly bolted for the house, running right passed Zero ignoring his calls to help with the bags. Not really caring that her clothes were almost completely soaked through as she burst into the house and began a frantic search for her mother.

Most of the group was still in the living room area and the absence of her mother did not go unnoticed. Not caring that she was probably trudging mud all over the floor, Kiyomi ran up the stairs and down the hall towards her bedroom. She found her standing in the middle of the room holding a picture frame, a small smile on her beautiful face as she studied every detail of the picture inside. It was of her and Kiyomi; the room grew cold as Kiyomi's heart dropped.

"Mom?" She turned her head slowly towards Kiyomi, her smile never falling from her flawless face. Her dark hair that framed her soft face moved fluidly as she turned her head back towards the photo she held in her hand.

She gently placed the picture back onto the dresser and turned her attention back to Kiyomi, "Cross believes that it would be wise to leave tonight since classes will begin on Monday. It would give you a little time to adjust and settle in." Her soft spoken words would normally calm Kiyomi's racing heart, but this time it was futile.

Numb, that's how Kiyomi felt and she could just feel her feet moving without her control as she quickly moved across the room wrapping her arms around her mother's slim figure. Her mother responded almost instantly, wrapping one arm around her and placing another on her head much like she did when Kiyomi was a small child. She ran her slender fingers through Kiyomi's soft hair and Kiyomi buried her face into the fabric of her clothing. The sweet fragrance of her mother filled Kiyomi's nose and helped to sooth her as she felt herself calming in her mother's embrace.

"Do I have to leave tonight?" Kiyomi asked, suppressing the emotion that sat on the tip of her tongue. Her mother pulled back slightly, taking Kiyomi's face into her hands gently and looking into her now watery eyes. She smiled her sweetest smile and nodded before placing a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead. At this point Kiyomi didn't care if she looked like a small child being comforted by her mother.

Even with the knowledge that most would think her reaction to all this was childish she didn't care; it has been just the two of them for so long. It was hard to think of anytime away from her, even knowing that it was temporary, it was still hard.

Kiyomi let out a sigh as she looked down, concentrating on controlling her breathing from becoming erratic again. She looked back to her mother again, a small smile slowly forming, "I'm going to miss you."

Her mother's arms wrapped around her again pulling her into a firm hug, "I will see you in a few weeks. I will be visiting some family friends in a town close by for a little while so you can spend the weekends with me during that time." It was nice to know that she would be seeing her mother so soon after leaving and she knew the friends her mother spoke of and would enjoy getting to see them as well.

She gave her mother a confident smile this time, no need to force it since she understood that this wasn't forever. And she wanted to be strong for her mother and prove that she was capable of doing this, even if she did just breakdown like a small child. With one final hug she pulled away from her completely, the smile not faltering as she spoke, "Well, I guess I better get ready then." The smile on her face brightened for a moment and she leaned in placing another soft kiss on Kiyomi's forehead.

"I know you will do great." She spoke softly as she gave Kiyomi one last hug before gracefully walked out of the room.

A final decision that it would probably be a good idea to shower and change out of the clothes that she had been working in that day had her moving. From top to bottom, she was covered in dirt from the fields and smelled like she had been rolling around in hay all day and now they were nearly soaked through from the rain. _Jeez I stink._ _Well, that explains the distance everyone was keeping from me and probably why Zero said I didn't smell like them. This scent could mask any vampire's true scent, yikes!_ She thought with a laugh and started towards the bathroom.

Figuring also that since she would be cramped in a car in close proximity to others for several hours she should also dress comfortably. She decided on a dress her mother had given her a few months prior, it was pale blue like her eyes at the top with thin intricate designs created with a black thread. A black silk like fabric tied under the bust and the rest of the blue fabric fell loosely just below her knees covered with a see through black lacelike fabric. _This was definitely an improvement from the attire I had on previously, wonder if they will even recognize me_ , she thought as she let out a soft laugh.

Her hair was dried once she was fully dressed and left to fall freely in soft natural waves down her back. A pair of black flats were then used to complete the outfit and she made her way across the room towards the door, but not before grabbing the photo of her and her mother that she was holding before from its frame.

As she slowly made her way down the carpeted stairs to the first floor of the large house she could hear faint voices coming from the living room area. She figured that everyone must still be sitting around conversing as they were before. Nothing seemed to phase them in any way.

She turned the corner to the opening to the large room and heard a male's voice, it was very smooth and sophisticated, and his speech was so elegant. She couldn't help but feel captivated by it as she drew closer and his words became clearer. When she entered the room silently, well as silently as she could while the others were in deep conversation about the upcoming school year prep, she took note that everyone sat basically unmoving from their previous spots.

She glanced around the room looking for a free spot to sit, face falling slightly when she noticed the only free space was next to Zero. His scowl seemed to have returned with vengeance as Kiyomi approached the open space on the sofa next to him. He narrowed his eyes at her when their eyes met, she being the person that she is returned his glare with one of her own. With all the grace her mother had taught her, she sat down silently next to him trying her best to keep her temper in check.

"You have no manners." He muttered from beside her, his face turned away as he rested his head in the palm of one hand that was resting on his knee.

"Excuse me?" trying her absolute best to respond in a low tone and not explode on his ridiculous attitude was becoming a challenge all on its own.

She could see him look out of the corner of his eye as he spoke again, the scowl never leaving his face, "Usually people ask if the seat is taken before plopping carelessly down into it."

Her temper began rising as she balled her fists in her lap trying to prevent the outburst that so desperately wanted to come out. Slowly she closed her eyes and collected her thoughts before she dared to speak to him again.

"Well if my presence is such an inconvenience to you then…I will remove myself. I didn't intend on offending someone I have yet to get to know." She managed to say between slow deep breaths. Standing slowly and straightening out her dress before returning her attention back to him helped to keep her hands busy and from punching him square in the jaw.

"Sorry to have bothered you." She said with a small bow before turning and walking out of the living room, ignoring the now slightly shocked look on his face. Kiyomi noticed as she walked out that her actions had caught the attention of the others but could careless, she just needed to get away before she lashed out in front of them.

She then decided to sit down on one of the chairs that lined the front porch, considering the fact that maybe the fresh air would calm her nerves. Not paying attention to the door as it creaked open, or the person that sat down in the chair next to her, she continued to look on into nothing. Her emotionless expression masking every emotion that threatened to burst from her.

"Hey are you ok?" She didn't recognize this voice and so turned her head towards the owner. It was the blond boy that was in the car with the chairman and Yuki, being this close she could see just how handsome he was. No surprise there of course, he was a vampire and she had yet to meet an ugly one. Upon further inspection she noticed how the smile he held was so….real, it seemed so natural on him. His beautiful green eyes even held the purity of it as the wind blew his blond bangs across his flawless face. To sense such innocence within a being like him was almost unheard of, his aura was unlike any she had ever come across.

"I'll be ok." She finally spoke after a few moments. The faint feeling of heat making its way onto her cheeks while he looked at her with those beautiful green eyes made her turn her head away. Letting her guard down twice in one day and now blushing, again? Honestly, she didn't know what had come over her in the last few hours and it was confusing as well as frustrating.

The lack there of, of emotion in her voice when she answered didn't seem to bother him as he continued to smile that sweet smile. Kiyomi could feel the corners of her frown starting to turn up; his smile was so contagious that she couldn't help the one that was now forming on her face.

"That's better!" he chirped as his eyes closed on his ever smiling face. "No reason for such saddness to play on a face so beautiful."

Her eyes widened a bit, she knew her face must have been burning red now, how embarrassing. He didn't seem to notice what he had said as he just continued to smile. "Um….thanks…uh?" Kiyomi tilted her head to the side; she did not know his name and therefore could not thank him properly. Just a tad bit awkward.

"Hmmm?…oh! My apologies, my name is Ichijo Takuma, but please call me Takuma." He seemed a little embarrassed at his actions as a playful grin was now plastered to his face and his hand rubbed the back of his head nervously. Kiyomi could also make out a faint pink hue on his cheeks; he was just too cute right now.

"Ichijo? But that means you must be kin to…." Before she could answer he had already acknowledge that her suspicions were correct.

His smile fell slightly as he spoke, "Ichijo Asato, he is my grandfather."

Kiyomi could just stare in utter shock, she knew of this man and he was so cold and dark, nothing like the boy that sat next to her. "Excuse me for asking, but are you sure you are kin to him?" The question spilled from her mouth before she could stop herself and she slapped her hands over her mouth looking at Takuma with wide eyes.

Takuma chuckled softly, the sound lightening the dull mood set by the weather and prior events that involved a certain silver haired jerk. "I'm afraid so."

"Oh…um, sorry?" she moved her hands from her mouth and shrugged her shoulders. She kind of felt bad for him; he was kin to a man that was just so incapable of showing any kindness unless it would somehow benefit himself. But miracles must be possible if Takuma was kin to such a horrid excuse for a man.

"So..." he took a deep breath before releasing it slowly, "Care to share what happened in there?" he gestured to the house.

Kiyomi shifted her gaze to her hands that sat on her lap, "That guy, Zero, he seems like a real jerk." At the mention of the name, Takuma started to shake his head a bit, a now slightly saddened smile on his face.

"I'm afraid that is something that will never change. He has been that way since…" He trailed off a bit, his eyes trailing to the ground before coming back to her, "Well as long as I have known him. An unfortunate turn of events took place in his life…honestly I cannot blame him for his ways."

"Oh." Her soft voice was barely audible.

She watched Takuma run his hand through is blond hair, "Let's just say that, Kiryu has a good reason to be so cold so no need to take it personal. He is a hard guy to learn and even harder to get through to."

"Hmmm." Kiyomi looked back at the house, wondering what exactly could have turned someone so cold. She had experienced many tragedies in her life and unfortunately bore witness to many individuals that broke.

"Don't let it bother you too much; he treats pretty much everyone like that. Even Yuki and she is always defending his actions to Lord Kaname."

She looked back to him with a questioning expression, "Lord Kaname?"

"Huh?..Oh that's right you haven't met everyone properly yet have you?" Before she knew what was going on he had grabbed her hand and was pulling her up from the chair. He turned around with a sweet smile on his face, "How about we change that real quick?"

"Um..sure." Kiyomi followed Takuma back into the house and into the living room where everyone was still sitting.

 **More updating to come! Please review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**This whole editing process would have been so much easier had my laptop not crashed! Anyways, enough of my whining. Another chapter edited and ready for reading. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

 **Chapter Five**

Takuma cleared his throat as he stood in the large open doorway that led into the living room with Kiyomi in tow. Everyone ceased their chattering and turned their attention to the two vampires standing in the entrance.

"My apologies for interrupting but I do believe that introductions are due since they were skipped somehow." He glanced at Kiyomi with a knowing smirk before returning his attention back to everyone else. "This is Hannabusa Aido and his cousin Akatsuki Kain," he gestured towards the other blond boy with piercing blue eyes and the boy with brownish red hair and brown eyes. Aido smiled and waved a hand at Kiyomi. Kain dipped his head slightly as a small smirk formed on his perfect lips. Kiyomi smiled in response before her eyes trailed back to Takuma as he continued on.

"This is Toya Rima and Shiki Senri. Next to Yuki is Souen Ruka." He then moved his hand towards the beautiful blond girl with pigtails and the boy with reddish brown hair, both nodding their heads in unison chewing away on their pocky. Then on to the girl with sandy brown hair that fell down her back, she had a very unwelcoming aura about her that screamed stuck up in Kiyomi's mind. She saw Yuki's smiling face as she waved and so returned Yuki's sweet smile with one of her own.

Her attention was then back to Takuma once more as he then moved on to the tall boy with dark brown hair, "And this is…." He was cut off by the boy's smooth voice.

"Kuran Kaname." He introduced himself as he stood from the sofa and made his way over to Kiyomi. A small smile graced his delicate features but seemed so out of place on him. So this was the owner of the voice she had heard earlier in the evening. There was something dark about him, dark enough that Kiyomi could it see right through his handsome features.

His hand gently grabbed Kiyomi's raising it to his lips and placing a soft kiss on the back. A simple gesture that she was accustomed to when her mother would have guests, or if they attended a party so it didn't cause too much discomfort. The close proximity between them brought back the scent that had filled her senses earlier that day, the reason Jack had reacted so fowl, this was the other pureblood. His presence was slightly threatening in a superiority way and it would also make sense as to why everyone treated him with such a disgusting amount of respect.

It was understandable as to why lower level vampires would be intimidated by beings like him and her mother but it was something that she hated to see. It was like some of them were trying too hard and it just made her want to gag.

She nodded her head slightly and smiled, "A pleasure to meet you all, my apologies for skipping introductions earlier this afternoon. My name is Yukimura Kiyomi."

The few around the room that she had deemed approachable acknowledged her introduction in a positive show of acceptance. Ruka seemed to be a little annoyed by the pureblood's actions towards Kiyomi as she sent her a cold look before looking away. She was acting like a stuck up little brat and Kiyomi couldn't help the scowl that she had as she looked at the girl. _Jeez someone else acting like I kicked their dog or something…whatever._ Seems like she possesses more than just loyalty for Kaname.

Kiyomi shot a quick glance back to Takuma who still stood beside her as he and Kaname spoke for a short moment. Once the small conversation ended between the two the pureblood made his way back to the sofa he was sitting on next to Yuki who was blushing furiously. Kiyomi smiled at the sight of the small girl as she fidgeted next to him, her gaze falling to the floor. A girl like Yuki had more of a chance of earning the attention of Kaname than Ruka with her ever present possessive attitude…not to mention rude!

Her mind started to trail off as the various sounds of conversation started filling the room again but was short lived as she was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of loud clapping. Chairman Cross made his way to the center of the room, "Ok everyone, we will be leaving soon. We have a long journey back so the sooner we get going the sooner that can happen. We leave in twenty minutes." He said with finality looking at his watch.

That was the other thing that rattled her brain, their arrival in such numbers for just one person was kind of overdoing it…right? She lived in America and they resided in Japan, where the school was located and probably the place of origin for most or all of them. It was not unusual for a pureblood like her mother to want to leave Japan where most of her family chose to stay; it happened a lot more than most would have thought. It was understandable the Chairman's and his adoptive children were present, but the rest seemed a bit much. Perhaps there was another underlying reason for their numbers.

Everyone resumed their previous conversations as Cross took his seat next to Kiyomi's mother. She scanned the room, looking at everyone again before turning around and walking back outside taking with her various thoughts of the evening and upcoming events. As she sat back down in the chair she had been in before, she rested her chin in the palm of her hand and sat her elbow down on the arm of the chair. Closing her eyes and breathing in deeply, Kiyomi took in the scent that surrounded her, trying to imbed it into her memory. The door open once again and before she knew it she heard someone sit down in the chair beside her.

Slowly she looked over expecting to see Takuma sitting there but her eyes slightly widened as they landed on Zero. _Hmm wonder what he wants to complain that I am doing wrong now?_ Letting out a deep sigh she turned her attention back to the view in front of her, the lightning flashing angrily casting distorted shadows across the land…beautiful. Zero shifted in his chair a bit but Kiyomi refused to look in his direction.

Closing her eyes once more to enjoy the peace and quiet along with the rumbling of the storm overhead she drew in a deep breath. The crickets began their chirping the only other sound in the silent evening besides the sounds of the storm but with each roll of thunder that came and flash of lightning they soon fell silent. With a mind running wild with many thoughts and Kiyomi couldn't help but think about the boy that now sat next to her. _Zero, why does he hate us so? I am sure there is a reason behind his severe hatred for my kind and with my mind asking a million and one questions I cannot help but want to know._ She chanced a small glance in his direction without turning her head.

"Why don't you like them?" The question that had been filling her mind came out without hesitation. Kiyomi was a curious creature sometimes and just could not help herself.

"Who?" He grumbled as he shifted his weight again and she could feel his eyes on her now as she continued to stare out into nothing.

She turned slightly, a bored expression on her face as she spoke to him, "Who else?" Not really caring at this moment if she offended him, or made him angry with her random questioning.

"Why do you care?" his tone was filled with irritation that only seemed to grow with every word. He narrowed his eyes at Kiyomi.

"I could honestly careless." That of course was a lie but she didn't want him to know that she actually kind of cared about his opinion. Her gaze returned to the light show the storm was producing.

He scoffed as he spoke again, "Then why ask?" She could see him out of the corner of her eye as he stood from the chair he was sitting in, running a hand through his hair as he stood. He was obviously frustrated as not only his facial expression showed it but his body language.

As he turned to go back inside, Kiyomi spoke again, "I just don't think you should base the way you treat people off of the actions of others. Be angry with those that directly caused your pain and frustration not the ones that have committed no ill acts towards you." He whipped his head around, a serious look taking over his features. She let out a deep breath, _yep that must have gotten to him._ She stood slowly and stepped off the porch before he had the chance to say anything else to and made her way to the small gazebo across the way.

As she stepped under the roof, she ran her fingers along the beautiful designs etched in one of the posts that connected the flooring to the roof and glanced at the structures beauty. It was a place that she would often come to when she just needed to think about whatever was bothering her. Tonight it was a mixture of things and not even the usual serenity that could be found sitting here could shadow it.

The sound of the front door creaking and then slamming shut caught her attention. She looked to the house to see that Zero was no longer standing there anymore, he must have went back inside since she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of getting the last word in. _Stupid boy, I just met him and he is being such a jerk towards me_. She let out a long sigh; _still what Takuma had said about him makes me wonder what could have happened to make him that way._

She hadn't realized just how long she had been sitting there until someone yells her name, "Kiyomi!" Turning her head slowly in the direction of the voice to see the chairman, along with everyone else standing out on the porch. He was waving his hand around with a huge grin on his face. "It's time to go!"

The storm overhead must have heard him too as it boomed, the ground vibrate under her feet at the force it emitted. She laughed lightly as the chairman let out a high pitched squeal caught off guard by the sound. Standing from her place she prepared to head back to the house for the last time when the bottom dropped out. A look towards the chairman and he signaled for her to hold on, and then out came Takuma with an umbrella a moment later.

She watched as Takuma made his way carefully over with the umbrella over his head, the same smile as before appeared as he looked at her. She returned his smile as he walked under the gazebo stopping next to her and shaking the excess water from the umbrella.

"You didn't have to do that," She said pointing to the umbrella in his hand, "I don't mind the rain." As the words left her lips the wind picked up a moment, just long enough to cause a chill to hit her body and an involuntary shiver to surface. Before she had a chance to react, Takuma had taken off his jacket and placed it around her shivering form pulling it firmly around her shoulders. She smiled shyly up to him, "You didn't have to do that either."

"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't?" He said as he held his arm out to her, that genuine smile never fading.

She smiled at his gesture and looped her arm through his, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." He smiled as they walked out into the shower of rain, the umbrella doing its best to protect them from becoming soaking wet and his jacket doing its job of keeping her from shivering again. The wind picked up again and brought with it a different scent. Mixing with the light refreshing scent of the rain the scent was captivating. A small hint of spices, warm but not overpowering and honey. She smiled as she pulled the jacket tighter and the scent filled her senses again. _So this was Takuma's scent?_ Quickly glancing at said boy she made sure he hadn't witnessed her strange action before turning her attention back to those standing under the covering of the porch.

Aido, Kain, Ruka, Rima and Shiki were now getting into the limo they had arrived in earlier in the day ignoring the fact that their clothes were becoming wet from the rain. The rain began letting up in the short time it took her and Takuma to get back to the covered porch so they weren't in too much danger of becoming soaked.

Kiyomi took the opportunity to give the jacket that Takuma had lent her back as the wind had once again subsided and muttered another "Thank you." As she handed him the jacket carefully she stood silently now missing the warmth of the jacket and his scent. He returned her thanks with another smile before taking the jacket and putting it back on himself.

Her mother made her way to Kiyomi pulling her into a gentle hug, "Have a good time my dear. I will see you soon enough." She pulled back and placed a soft kiss on Kiyomi's forehead before she looked over to Chairman Cross, "Take good care of my daughter." The man nodded and flashed her a reassuring smile.

Kiyomi turned around in time to see Yuki, Chairman Cross, Takuma, and Zero getting into the limo they had arrived in. She looked to the last person now standing by the car door gesturing politely for her to enter, his eyes holding that same kindness with a hint of something dark as before. Quietly she approached the car as he moved a bit to make room for her to pass, "Thank you." She smiled.

He nodded his head in response, "My pleasure." His eyes not breaking their hold on hers, she couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness his dark orbs held. Looking back into those deep dark pools she couldn't help the feeling of sorrow, his face may have held little expression but his eyes betrayed enough. Sadness and loneliness filled them and Kiyomi found herself feeling the need to help him.

 _Kiyomi!_

That voice boomed in her head once again causing her to pause. The air around her became heavy and it became hard to breathe as the intense smell of sulfur filled her senses. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, the sound so clear almost as if it was right there.

 _Be wary of him Kiyomi. Your time is drawing near…._

 **Okay so what do you think so far? Review please :)**


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